A 12.30 service this year at Newsholme. Traditional service marking the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period in the lead up to Easter. In services today, priests mark people’s foreheads with ashes – a symbol of humility and a reminder of human mortality. Priests will say the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”, originating from Genesis 3:19 when God tells Adam that his life, like all human life, is temporary, but turning back towards God offers something eternal. Lent is a chance to slow down and be more intentional about giving your time and priorities to God, whether through prayer, acts of kindness, or giving something up.
Ash Wednesday itself started in the early Church, around 1st to 4th century as a form of public repentance, through sprinkling of ashes.